A World Apart
by SapphireCuatro
Summary: Rukia's just been adopted into the Kuchiki family. But what can she do when she's daily facing a brother with a heart of ice? Can she somehow bond with him, or will there always be a wall between them?
1. A Distant Brother

This is my first Bleach fic. Please be kind…

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In spite of Renji's "assurances", Rukia had her anxieties when she was adopted into the Kuchiki family.

Her she was, a poor Rukongai peasant, now one of the four great families of the Soul Society. People who had once mocked her for being Rukongai scum were now calling her "Miss Kuchiki" and "milady". She had been avoided before because of where she was from. Now she was _still_ being avoided, because people feared the wrath of the Kuchikis...but especially her "big brother".

To tell the truth, he even scared her, who was supposed to be his sister! He was an intimidating figure, with his billowing white coat and face of stone, his scarf trailing behind him, Senbonzakura sheathed at his waist, his superiority over all those around him proclaimed in his bearing and in his dress. Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of Sixth Company. Byakuya Kuchiki, the greatest head the Kuchiki family had ever had. Byakuya Kuchiki, her older brother.

She still couldn't even comprehend.

He had brought her into a life of luxury. He had given her so much. Merely having the same surname as him protected her from people's sneers. But that was what big brothers were _supposed_ to do, right? They were _supposed_ to protect their little sisters. But what were little sisters supposed to do for their big brothers? More than just sit around and wait to be protected, surely?

Rukia decided that if older siblings had a duty to the ones who came after, then the younger siblings also had a duty, to the older ones. But what exactly was it? What could she do for him that would make him happy?

Well, it was all right if she didn't necessarily know right off. Sometimes these things took time to figure out. Everybody was different, after all. Something that would please, say, Renji, wouldn't necessarily work for that formidable Sixth Company captain. These things took time.

A _lot_ of time, apparently.

She couldn't be a noble to save her life, apparently. Her first approach had been to act like a proper noble young lady, but that didn't go well. Every five seconds she broke some rule of etiquette, it seemed. She tried her hardest (and screwed up the most) around Byakuya. She would look up at him, only to see him avoiding eye contact.

After a while, she figured out that these sorts of things take a while to learn, so it was probably best to take a different approach.

Although he could have her fooled any day of the week, he wasa person, with likes and dislikes. All she had to do was find them, and how hard could that be?

She tried cooking for him, but she ended up activating the sprinklers when she set off the smoke detector. Needless to say, Byakuya was not happy. He just wrung the water out of his dark hair and white coat and went to change without saying a word.

She thought she'd visit him at Sixth Company and surprise him, but he just told her she was "troubling" him.

She found out that he liked Chinese bellflowers, so she decided to use this knowledge for all it was worth. She spent all day in the garden, her hair pulled back, humming contently to herself, as she watered the flowers, pulled the weeds, and set up small rocks as borders (which took forever!) This time, surely. This time, surely, she would please him. Surely, this time, she could let her big brother know how grateful she was for all the generosity he had shown her. Even if he _had_ only adopted her because she looked like his dead wife...he didn't have to. No one had forced him to. He had brought a Rukongai tramp into his family, as his own sister. That wasn't obligatory. He didn't have to. Clearly...there was a heart in there. All she'd done was disappoint him since she became part of his family. All she'd done was shame him. He was probably regretting what he did.

Well. Byakuya wasn't exactly an emotional person, but...if just once, he wouldn't walk away...if just once, he would look her in the eye...then she'd know that everything was all right between them.

The sun was setting when she finished to her satisfaction. She made sure the sprinklers were hooked up. After working with them all day long, there was no way she'd be negligent enough to let her brother's flowers shrivel up and die!

She stood back to admire her work. Every part of her body was stiff, and ached. She rubbed her shoulder. It was painful...but she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. All of this had been done by her, Rukia Kuchiki! Just her, and no one else! That in itself was enough of an accomplishment to make her brother proud of her, in her personal opinion.

She looked at herself, covered in dirt. Byakuya would be coming home soon. She wanted to look presentable, when she came to greet him as he passed through the garden.

She ran off hurriedly. But first, she turned on the sprinklers. The flowers were looking a bit dried out to her. It would be better if they looked vibrant, healthy, and dewy when Byakuya saw them!

She was so excited, she ran off as fast as she could, turning on the sprinklers en route. Too bad for her. If she'd stayed a minute longer, Byakuya would have passed by her, since he'd come home early.

"I...I'm very sorry, nii-sama. I didn't see you. If I had, I would never have turned those sprinklers on!"

There was no response.

"Nii-sama?"

"I have said before that no one is permitted to come in my room without permission."

Rukia had one foot in his bedroom. She quickly retreated across the line.

Senbonzakura lay on the bed. His white coat hung draped over the edge of a chair, his scarf on top of it.

His kimono hung open, revealing his bare chest. "Now, if you don't mind...?" He had a dangerous tone to his voice that Rukia didn't really want to challenge.

"O-oh. Of course, nii-sama. I'll leave you in peace, nii-sama." She closed the door.

Rukia lay on her bed.

Great. Sure, _that_ had gone well. She'd done a great job, a really great job! She'd shown her gratitude to Byakuya, all right! No better way to show affection than to douse someone with sprinklers!

Everything she did was a failure! No matter what she did, she managed to disappoint him! He was just never satisfied!

So...why even try?

She was appalled at this strange thought. Byakuya Kuchiki had been so generous to her. So if he had gone to all the trouble, why was he never happy? Maybe...it wasn't _her_. Maybe it was _him_.

Byakuya was so cold. Even the hottest fire of warmth and affection couldn't melt that icy exterior, she decided. So why even bother? Byakuya wasn't generous. He only adopted her because she looked like a dead woman. He obviously had some issues to work out. Why was she wasting her time on him? Her entire body, aching...an entire day, spent gardening...and for what? For the likes of him? Someone who would never appreciate it anyway? He barely even acknowledged her existence. Why was she wasting her time and her love on him? She would only be hurting herself.

All she ever did was annoy him, so...why even try? Why bother trying to fit into this family? Why bother trying to please Byakuya Kuchiki? Neither one would ever happen.

...so why bother?

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I hope you all liked it. Please review.


	2. Rukia's Rebellion

Wow. I realized...I forgot the disclaimer in the first chapter. Oops.

Rukia: Fool. Why would I want an imbecile like you to write fanfics about me?

Me: Oh, come on, it was a simple mistake...

**- - - - - - - -- - - - - - -**

**"M**iss Kuchiki. You've been in there all day. Your brother demands that you come out straightaway."

There was a pause.

"Well, tell nii-sama that if he cares that much, he should come tell me himself." Another pause. "Never mind. I'll go see him myself. Where is he?"

"He...he's awaiting you at dinner."

"Oh. All right then. Tell him I'll be there in a minute. I want to look presentable."

Byakuya Kuchiki was innocently eating when Rukia came in.

He didn't even look up. "What have you been doing all day? I don't have time for your childish behavior."

"Sorry, nii-sama. It's merely...I know I stick out like a sore thumb. It's taken me awhile to adjust...to, you know, being a noble and everything. But I figured that the first step is to look the part."

"What do you mean by that?" He made the mistake of looking up.

"That's really a priceless look you've got on your face there, nii-sama. So let's eat, shall we?" She sat across from him.

"Rukia...you're..."

"Do you have something to say, nii-sama?" asked Rukia, barely able to hold back her glee at his discomfort.

"What is the meaning of this, Rukia? Why have you done this?"

"What do you mean?"

He was growing increasingly irritated. "Your hair. Your face. Your clothes."

"Sorry, nii-sama. You should have been more clear. You never said you were _against_ purple hair, ripped clothes, and nose studs. Oh, or belly-button piercings, either."

"You..."

"Do you want to see?"

"No."

She showed him anyway.

"Oh, yeah. My hair covers it up, so you probably didn't see..." Rukia pulled back some bright purple hair to reveal lines of earrings up and down her ears. Then she held up her hands, showing him her black nails. "You probably didn't notice these, either."

"Painted nails, maybe..._maybe_. But black lipstick?"

"It brings out my eyes."

Rukia shivered with delight. She could practically _see_ the throbbing vein.

His fist was clenched and he was avoiding looking at her. Finally, and with great effort, he said calmly, "You are to explain yourself, Rukia. Immediately."

"What do you mean, nii-sama?"

"Do not make me repeat myself."

"This is Rukia Kuchiki. This is your sister." The bracelets on her wrist jangled together as she flourished her hand dramatically. "This is who I am, nii-sama. This is me."

"Very well, then. Play your little games. But you're not going outside looking like that."

"You can't keep me in here!"

"I can."

"You have no right!"

"I have every right."

Rukia attacked her food furiously.

"By the time I see you tomorrow", said Byakuya, "This foolishness had better be over, or there will be consequences. This is your only warning."

Rukia sat in her room looking at herself in a mirror. Byakuya's reaction had not been to her liking. Did he _always_ have to be so cool and composed?

What did a girl have to do to get a reaction out of him?! Bright purple hair didn't do it. Multiple piercings didn't do it. Black nails and lipstick didn't do it. What did it take?! A tattoo?!

She looked at the face in the mirror, wearing an expression of serious consideration.

She set the mirror down, then crept over to the window. There was almost no moonlight tonight.

She opened the window and climbed out.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If nobody reviews, I'll sic Bleach characters on you!

...not really.


	3. No More

Sorry it took me a while to update. Spring Break kind of messed up my normal routine. 

And thank you to those who reviewed! You made me so, so happy! 

Rukia: Stop being emotional and get on with it. 

Right. So here's Chapter 3. 

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**T**here was a quiet knock on the door, and then it opened. 

"Rukia?" 

It was Byakuya. 

His eyes fell on the bright purple hair, and narrowed in displeasure. It took him a few seconds to register the rest of the girl, to whom the hair was attached. 

She was laying on her stomach, her face turned away from him, on top of the covers. He was uninterested and turned to leave, until she groaned and shifted in her sleep, and he caught sight of something on her lower back. 

…

"What were you thinking?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I'm not in the mood for stupidity. I thought you were out-of-control before, but this is getting out of hand. How many tattoos have you gotten?" 

"Just the one…so far." 

"No one is to see it. Am I understood? No one else is to know about this." 

Rukia smirked. Finally, something that got to him! "Does it bother you, nii-sama?" 

Byakuya wasn't saying anything. He had his back to her. 

Or not! He was _still_ refusing to communicate! What did it take with this guy?

He turned to face her. Rukia couldn't tell anything by his face. Then he said, 

"Perhaps this behavior is acceptable in Rukongai. I've never really had to worry about this sort of thing. You have not been a member of the Kuchiki family for very long yet, so maybe it has yet to become apparent to you…" 

Rukia wasn't sure what he was getting at, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to be anything she wanted to hear. 

"Your behavior is unacceptable for a Kuchiki. We of the Kuchiki family set an example to everyone in Soul Society. Yours is not the sort of example that should be set." He was very close to her now. More quietly, he added, "I am going to be very clear. I will not allow you to tarnish the image of the Kuchiki family. I will not allow it. You are being very selfish in destroying our family's prestige for the sake of 'making a statement.' Any quarrel you have with me should be kept between the two of us, and not extended to the honor of our family as a whole…that is all." 

…

"Hey, you seem down. So what's _your_ issue?" Rangiku downed another cup of sake. 

Rukia, who was still on her first cup, wondered how Rangiku drank it down so fast. "Oh. Nothing. It's just my brother." 

"Who's your brother?" 

"Byakuya Kuchiki." 

"Wha---! Really! I didn't even know he had a sister!" 

Oh. Great. So no one even knew she existed. 

"So what's the problem?" 

"Well, for one, talking to him is like talking to a wall. And, for another thing, he acts like a robot…I mean, I don't see how it's even _possible_ to connect with him. It's like you run into this giant barrier before you can reach him…" 

"Well, anyone could have told you _that_. You're his sister. You _live_ with him. Don't you know anything about him at all?" 

"Well…he used to have a wife. He…adopted me because I looked like her." 

"Really? Well, I'm sure you don't anymore, with that hair and all those piercings." 

"Um…don't repeat anything I say to anyone, okay?" 

"Oh. Right. I get it. So it's like a girl-to-girl moment, right? I gotcha." 

"…yeah…it's just…when it comes to Byakuya nii-sama, I feel…" 

She remembered their earlier conversations. Byakuya's subtle warnings…her previous failures to please him…him avoiding eye contact…disregarding her like she was not worth his notice…

"I can't stand him!" Rukia slammed the cup down on the counter. "He pisses me off! Why do I even waste my time worrying about his opinion? Why should I care?" 

"You know what _I_ think…?" asked Rangiku, "You might _say_ that, but you'll always care. Because you can't be that close to someone and not care." 

"But I'm _not_ close to him! That's the whole point!" 

"You're closer to him than most girls. You're probably closest of all because like I said, you live with him." 

"That…that has nothing to do with this conversation!" 

"You obviously care very much what he thinks…otherwise you would never have gotten a makeover…you want him to say he hates it and that he liked you so much better the way you were before." 

"He…he would never say something like that. He…he's not the sort who would say something emotionally revealing. Or reveal anything through facial expressions, either, for that matter. Since he's got about all the expression range of a rock…" Rukia stood. "Well, he's pretty stubborn, but I can be stubborn, too! There's no way he's gonna make me cave!" 

"I thought you didn't care about his opinion?" 

Rukia sat back down. "I don't!" 

Rangiku eyed her skeptically. "Uh-huh…well, just remember…the people you're closest to are usually the ones who are farthest away." 

…

Rukia climbed back in through the window, then closed it behind her. 

"And where have _you_ been?" 

She froze. Byakuya came up to her. 

"Well?" 

"N…nowhere, nii-sama. I mean…I didn't do anything bad, if that's what you're worried about." 

"I thought I told you that you were not to go out? Didn't I say that?" 

"Y…yes, you did." 

"Are you deaf? Or just stupid?" 

Suddenly, it seemed as though she had no words. 

"I've had quite enough of you", said Byakuya, "I gave you the chance to rethink your behavior. You spurned that opportunity. Now…you will have no more chances." 

- - - - - -

That's it for Chapter 3. I hope to update soon! 


	4. The Flower of the Kuchikis

Here's Chapter 4. Sorry for the wait. Originally, it was part of Chapter 3, but I divided them up. Anyway...

* * *

Rukia glared at the Sixth Company Soul Reapers patrolling the grounds. For one month, they had been there. For one month, they had confined her to the house--on Byakuya's orders.

They weren't even on speaking terms anymore. If Rukia tried to talk to him, he just ignored her, and if he tried to talk to her, she just ignored him, so eventually they had just stopped talking.

She hated him. She hated that he had sent his subordinates to enforce his punishment. She hated that he was never around. She hated that she was stuck here while he could do whatever he wanted. She hated the low regard he held her in. And she hated that his intimidating presence made her too cowardly to confront him.

The only place outside the house she could go was the garden, and that was only because it was right outside her bedroom. It was easy to slip out, and she was always under the watchful eye of the Sixth Company Soul Reapers. She enjoyed the peace of the garden, and would whittle away the time there. The bellflowers were in full bloom now, and she appreciated the pretty flowers.

But she always made sure to be back in her room by the time Byakuya got home. He always passed through the garden when he came home, so Rukia made sure she was well out of his way. She didn't particularly want an unanticipated confrontation with him.

But after a month of being homebound, her patience was running thin.

That bastard. How long was he planning on keeping this up? Everything was closed off to her. And with each passing day, her anger and resentment built up. He was keeping her prisoner. It didn't matter that he was a captain, or a noble, or any of that. That didn't give him the right to do this. No one had the right to hold another person captive--and certainly not their own younger sister! He was supposed to be her big brother, right? And it was a big brother's duty to protect his little sister--not be the one causing her pain. If she'd known that this was what was coming, she'd never have agreed to be adopted into the Kuchiki family...

She looked at the bellflowers surrounding her. That was something she had in common with Byakuya, she supposed. Bellflowers were one of her favorite flowers. He liked these flowers quite a lot as well...at least, it seemed that way. It wasn't as though he ever came out and said, "I like flowers!" But he _did_ pass through the garden every day when he came home, even though there was no particularly reason for it.

Just thinking about him made her angry. Why should she care what kind of flowers her captor liked? And if they liked the same thing...that meant she was the same sort of despicable person as him!

Suddenly, she hated bellflowers.

She looked at them with a new sort of disgust now. Byakuya liked them. Her jailer liked them. They represented the stronghold Byakuya had over her. They represented the walls of her prison. They represented her, shunned by a distant brother. They _were_ that brother. Those flowers...were Byakuya Kuchiki!

She wasn't sure what came over her. There was no rational thought. All that raced through her brain was hatred.

Then she was standing there, bellflowers laying in the grass all around her. The flowers had been violently wrenched out of the ground. The borders she had made not very long ago were now askew, and there was soil everywhere.

She looked at the wrecked flowers, stunned at what she had done, then went inside, unable to stay there among them any longer.

She waited in her room, pacing restlessly, looking at the clock all the time, waiting for Byakuya to come home. Time seemed to drag on forever. She looked out the window constantly. She had done something very terrible, and very daring...this was a new level of boldness, in her opinion. What was wrong with her? Why had she done that?!

Finally, he came. She saw the light glinting off of his hair. The contrast of his outfit, black against white, stood out very clearly to her. The kenseikan seemed to be glowing against that dark, dark hair.

Everyday, he passed through the garden, without pause. But today, when he reached the sight of the massacre, he stopped.

Rukia watched him from her window, trying to remain discreet. Everyday, it had been the same routine. Everyday, he was that same cold, expressionless person. Unchanging.

But...tonight...there had been a change! He hadn't just passed on through, like he did everyday. He...had stopped.

She was almost frightened now. She had instigated a change in someone who was unchangeable. She didn't know what he was going to do next. She didn't know how he was going to react to what she had done. She didn't know. And that frightened her.

He was just standing there. Then he bent over and picked up one of the flowers. He held it delicately between two fingers. Then he looked up towards her window...and his eyes locked on her.

She backed away from the window, to the other side of the room, as far away from him as possible. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might crack her ribcage.

She'd gone too far. She'd crossed the line. She'd defied him more openly than she ever had by backtalking or changing her appearance. Why didn't she realize? Compared to what he was capable of doing to her...he'd been lenient and forgiving. What had he ever done to her? He'd just kept her from leaving home. He'd never actually hurt her.

But now...she'd seen the look in his eyes. She'd done it. She was in for it now. He'd show her no mercy! The lenient Byakuya...was gone!

He would come in any minute. He would. She could swear she heard footsteps. He'd come and then...? Who knew?! And she could do nothing. She would be punished. She would see firsthand the side of Byakuya Kuchiki that his enemies saw. It would finally be made clear to her why he was respected and feared throughout the Soul Society!

She curled up in a corner, trying to make herself as small as possible. What was she thinking, defying someone like him? Byakuya...what would he do to her?!

* * *

And that's Chapter 4. It shouldn't take me as long to update this next time...but in the next chapter, Rukia's going to confront an important part of Byakuya's past...a woman who still influences him--and through him, Rukia--from beyond the grave...

...Hisana.


	5. Byakuya's Happiness

All right then...I got the opportunity to update sooner than expected, but that's fine by me, and fine by you, too, I guess, if you've followed the story this far. Anyway...

Please enjoy Chapter 5.

* * *

**H**e never came.

Rukia had fallen asleep, curled up in a ball, squeezing herself in that corner of her bedroom as far as she could. And when she woke up, she was surprised to find herself whole and hale, although she wasn't quite sure _why_ she should feel surprise.

Her body was stiff and sore from being in one position for so long. She heard birds. Sunlight was streaming in through the window.

She walked over to it, massaging a stiff shoulder, and looked out into the garden. The bellflowers, so violently ripped out of the earth, still lay in the grass, wilted and dead.

She bathed and changed into fresh clothes. She brushed her purple hair, staring at her own reflection in the mirror. Slowly, she took out all of the piercings except for two sets in her ears and the nose stud. Satisfied, she decided to go for a walk. She was homebound. It wasn't like she really had anything better to do, anyway.

She couldn't explain it, but she felt a little strange. She had felt such overwhelming terror the night before…terror of the man who was supposed to be her brother. Why? She had been certain he was going to let her have it, but he done nothing. Why was that? Wasn't he supposed to be a Captain, an almost godlike figure, untouchable and incomparable, someone to be feared? But, instead he had just…done nothing.

And that struck her more intensely than any punishment he had dealt out up to this point.

She had done something terrible. But he had done nothing. What did that mean? Did it mean…what if…

What if he had given up?

Was it even possible that she had defeated Byakuya Kuchiki in a battle of wills? But…if that was the case…then there was no point anymore…if he had given up on her…then nothing she did would matter anymore. Whether she acted spiteful towards him, or kind…it wouldn't matter anymore. He'd given up on her. He'd decided not to care anymore…!

But…if he could stop caring…then that meant he must have cared in the first place…had she miscalculated entirely? Had she made a mistake? Perhaps…he wasn't disregarding her…perhaps…

She stopped. No. It couldn't be that. There was no way she could have been so far off the mark. That couldn't be the way he felt. After all…he didn't feel anything. Not that she could see.

She looked around. Where had she gotten to, anyway?! It was still in the house…

It took her a few minutes, but then she recognized where she was. The door she was standing in front of…it was the door to Byakuya's bedroom…

The Forbidden Zone.

Why should this room be off-limits to her, anyway? They _were_ family.

Yes, but it was also Byakuya's personal space.

He had no problem coming in _her_ personal space.

Yes, but he was much bigger and stronger, and therefore he could do what he liked.

But if he could come in her room, she should be allowed to go in his.

Maybe so, but he'd already told her before that she wasn't allowed inside.

But he wasn't home! So how was he going to enforce it?

This was his house. Even if he wasn't physically present, he'd _know_. He _always_ knew. He was Byakuya Kuchiki!

So what? He wouldn't find out.

Her hand wavered before opening the door. She almost expected some sort of alarm or a bunch of booby traps to go off, but nothing happened. Nothing happened at all.

Rukia stood in the hall, looking into his room. Well, she'd made it this far, hadn't she? There was no turning back now!

She put one foot inside, on guard. Well, that counted, right? She could now say she'd stepped foot in Byakuya's room.

No booby traps.

She stepped all the way inside.

Still nothing.

There…there wasn't anything special about his room at all! It was just a room!

No. That couldn't be right. That couldn't possibly be the case. Byakuya Kuchiki didn't sleep in "just a bedroom". Byakuya Kuchiki slept in Byakuya Kuchiki's room! So therefore there had to be something cool, mysterious, and potentially life-threatening in here.

There seemed to be nothing special, though! His closet had clothes, and she couldn't unlock any secret passageways by moving books on the bookcase. There was nothing special at all. Nothing special, except for a framed picture…

Hey, wait. Why hadn't she noticed that from the start?

She picked up the picture and sat down near where Byakuya slept.

It showed Byakuya with a woman, wearing wedding garb.

This woman, she…she could only be Hisana, whom Rukia was supposed to look so much like! She gently touched the woman's face with her fingers. This woman was Byakuya's dead wife. She was the reason Rukia had been adopted into the Kuchiki family. She was the reason Rukia was in this situation!

Her knuckles were beginning to turn white, she was gripping the picture so hard. Hisana…it was all because of her that any of this had happened! If she hadn't gone off and died, then Byakuya would never have had any desire to adopt her then, right? If she hadn't died, Byakuya might be…happy.

Her eyes went to Byakuya. He looked so…contented. It was an expression she'd never seen on his face since she'd known him. He was actually…smiling. A small smile, but it spoke more than any number of words ever could.

He must have loved her quite a lot. She must have made him very happy. He was always so cold to Rukia, the very image of this woman who had brought him so much joy! Hisana was a source of happiness. She was Byakuya's happiness. So…if she destroyed Hisana…she would destroy his happiness!

She had had no problem destroying the bellflowers. So she wasn't sure why this picture was different. She was holding it over her head as though to throw it to the ground and shatter it, but something stayed her.

Was she losing it? Why was she getting angry? It was just a picture. Hisana was dead. If she was still reaching out from beyond the grave, it was though no fault of hers. She was dead. Didn't she deserve to rest in peace?

Rukia gently went to set the picture back down where she'd found it. Yes. After all, it wasn't Hisana's fault that she and Rukia looked alike. How could she begrudge this woman for something that couldn't be helped? Hisana deserved, like anyone, to be left at peace in death.

Quietly, Rukia left the room, closing the door behind her. Byakuya and Hisana were left intact, undisturbed in their happiness, frozen in time.

* * *

I'm really sorry if that seemed anti-climactic, but the way I see it...this is told entirely from Rukia's POV, so the way she interprets Byakuya might not be the way he actually feels. She can't read him well...

Anyway...Byakuya didn't show up at all in this chapter, but that couldn't really be helped. He'll be back in the next chapter, though...

But thank you all for your reviews and for following this story! It's made me so happy!


	6. Hisana's Shadow

I'm such a dweeb. Most of the time I'm so eager to post the next chapter that I forget to add in comments and have to add them in later. But I'm getting better about it.

Anyway, thank you so much for your reviews, and for staying with me! I present to you...Chapter 6. I typed my ass off this afternoon so I could get it posted today. :-)

* * *

What was it about Hisana? What sort of woman had she been to win the unwinnable Byakuya Kuchiki? In life, what had she been like?

Rukia wasn't sure why she cared. Why _should_ she care? But...this Hisana had looked just like her. Looking at that picture had been like looking at herself, through a slightly distorted mirror. Those features, smiling and happy, had not been Rukia Kuchiki's, exactly...they had been just different enough to be a completely new face altogether.

Hisana had been Byakuya's love. And Rukia was Byakuya's sister. But Rukia and Hisana looked eerily alike. So when Byakuya saw Rukia, did he see Hisana...? Did just being around Rukia remind him of the wife he had lost...?

What had Hisana done to win his heart? Was she really that extraordinary of a woman? What was so special about her?

Would _that_ get Byakuya's attention...if Rukia acted like Hisana?

After all...wasn't that why she'd been adopted in the first place? Out of all the girls in the Soul Society...because she looked like a noble's recently deceased wife. She hadn't been dead very long, right? Byakuya, at the time he adopted Rukia, must still have been mourning Hisana. He must have missed her terribly. But then he'd found Hisana...well, almost. He'd found someone who looked exactly like her, and that must have eased his suffering. So he'd adopted her into his family. So they would always be around each other...and he would always be reminded of Hisana...

Could...could that really have been Byakuya's motive? But that was so...twisted...

Was that really...was Rukia really intended to be...

...a replacement?

Hisana had won his heart...she'd died...then Byakuya had adopted Rukia, who looked just like Hisana...he must have thought she'd be like Hisana...but she hadn't been, obviously...so _that_ was why he was so cold to her...because she wasn't a good little Hisana replacement like she was supposed to be..._now_ she had it all figured out.

Obviously, even though she was dead, Hisana was still in Byakuya's thoughts. How could Rukia have overlooked that? From the very start, when she was told that she was being adopted because she looked like Hisana, she should have thought of this.

Well. Throwing Hisana into the equation, making a connection with Byakuya would require a...different approach.

...

Byakuya knew something strange was going on when he found Rukia waiting for him in the garden.

"Nii-sama!" she said, coming over to him, "How was your day?"

"...nothing new."

"Oh. I see. Just the usual, huh?"

"...yes."

Well. _That_ told her a lot.

"So...um...what are you hungry for tonight?"

"...I hadn't thought about it."

Was he thinking of telling her _anything_?!

"...okay...so...let's go inside."

...

The silence at dinner stretched on...

Rukia thought she'd be respectful of him and give him a chance to talk, but he didn't say anything. At all. And she wasn't quite sure how to go about starting a pleasant conversation with him. He seemed to have no interest in talking. Not to her, anyway.

Being in a room with him, directly across a table from him...with neither one of them talking...why did the air feel so stifling? Why did she keep shifting all the time? Why did she want to get out of that room as quickly as possible?

Why did he have to be so...so...so unapproachable?! Here she was, eating dinner with him, living in the same house as him, seeing him every single day...but...why did she want to hit him?

In the vain hope that he might express some sort of emotion? That he might acknowledge that she was sitting right in front of him?

She wasn't like Hisana, so she wasn't worthy of his recognition? Was that it?

She had to know. She'd been planning this out, going over the scenario in her head, waiting for this moment. Hisana was the Forbidden Subject. Byakuya's room had been the Forbidden Zone. And Byakuya himself was the Forbidden Person. All three were meant to be left alone, but...she'd already violated one. Now she was determined that the other two would no longer be shrouded in mystery. A bond with Byakuya was the primary objective. But Hisana still walked with him. Rukia couldn't deny that. Maybe...if Rukia could find out about Hisana...then she could understand Byakuya better. But the only way to know was to ask, and the best person to ask was the person sitting across from her...

But how should she approach it? It was likely still a sensitive subject. How was she to go about bringing it up? If she was too tactless, he might get angry, and withdraw even further...though she wasn't sure how he could become more distant from her than he already was...but then, this was Byakuya, so there was no limit to how far away he could drift...

Why was she worrying about that now?! It was a risk she had to take! What kind of coward was she, that she was afraid to talk to her own brother? That was how you "bonded", right? By sharing painful things and then supporting each other? By talking to each other? Sharing your hearts with each other? Learning to understand the other person?

Well. She was going to close the gap between them. Here and now. On the count of three...

One...

Her hands clenched into fists...

Two...

Byakuya got done eating and got up from the table...

Thr--

Wait! Byakuya had to be present for Rukia to ask her bold question to! And yet here he was leaving...how rude! He was going to be here to tell her about Hisana...while she still had the nerve to ask...!

"WAIT, BYAKU...ya..." She trailed off. The name had been partway out her mouth when she suddenly realized what she'd just uttered...

He...he was actually looking at her!

She felt a heat creeping across her face. So blatantly...she'd just...addressed him by his first name...! She'd...never even come close to that level of disrespect...!

Well, she'd certainly gotten his attention. She could see him standing there...but she didn't look up, so she didn't know exactly what sort of look he was giving her...she was afraid to find out!

Dammit...she'd tried to be nice and hide her frustrations in the hopes that he'd let his guard down, even a little, so then she could exploit it and try to get information about Hisana...so much for that! She'd be lucky if she could get out of the room and not get killed by the daggers he was probably sending her!

An uncomfortable and awkward silence filled the room. Byakuya wasn't saying anything...but then, there was nothing unusual about that.

Rukia got to her feet.

She left the dinner table.

She walked towards the door, not looking at him, drawn up to her full height (which, admittedly, wasn't very formidable), determined to maintain some dignity.

She was walking by Byakuya...

"Rukia."

"I'm sorry, nii-sama!! It just slipped out!!" Then she made a quick getaway.

Oh. Yes. That had been such a dignified exit.

She was doing it again. Just like before. Everything she planned, nice or not so much, always got screwed up.

Byakuya...why did he have to be so difficult?! Why couldn't he just let her in already?! Was he even capable of feeling anything other than annoyance or anger?!

Wait...why was she wondering? She knew the answer...

She stopped in her hurried retreat.

She was surprised that Byakuya had pushed her this far. She had no choice at this point...she had to use...

Her last resort!

* * *

Wow. That's weird. These little squares appeared in the middle of this and my other current story...


	7. The Last Resort?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your reviews! I was so shocked when I got on the day after I updated (Saturday) and saw that Chapter 6 had gotten 5 reviews in less than 24 hours! It completely flattered me! (And sorry, I know I've mentioned most of this before).

I never thought so many people would like this story. It truly does honor me, as the writer.

Well, that's enough of my completely shameless rambling. Here's what you really want to read, if you followed the story this far...Chapter 7.

* * *

The next evening, Rukia smoothed out her clothes, brushed out her hair, took a deep breath, and went to go find Byakuya.

This was it. If this didn't work, then she was all out of ideas. But she didn't have to worry about that, she was sure. Even Byakuya Kuchiki would cave to this.

But it was a measure so drastic that it required great and inhuman confidence. For some reason, Byakuya seemed to naturally suppress confidence with an intimidating and arrogant presence that could be matched by very few. She'd have to act quickly. If she stood before Byakuya, meaning to use such a bold thing as her last resort on him, then his presence might quickly kill her courage. She had to do this. Now. While she was still feeling bold. Otherwise...she might never pluck up this much courage again.

She had to do it...

It was now or never!

She marched to Byakuya's room. She was going to slam open that door, and drop her last resort on him while he was still stunned from her initial big entrance. Then, he would be so off-guard that the plan would be a success.

In a perfect world, that is.

She took a deep breath. She was going to do it! Now!

The door slammed open.

"Nii-sama, I demand--!"

She stopped. The room was dark. There was no one inside.

Byakuya...wasn't here.

She felt...deflated. Her confidence was seeping out of her, and it was replaced with...what was it? Disappointment? Not quite...or was it more relief? She couldn't decide.

She heard footsteps. Oh. Dammit! This would look really bad if Byakuya walked up and saw her standing there, the door to his room open. She closed the door and bolted, hiding around the corner as she heard the footsteps getting closer.

Whoever it was...they were very close.

She dared to peek her head around the corner. It was Byakuya...!

She hurriedly pulled her head out of sight. She'd hidden just in time!

She sat there, her heartbeat quickening. He most certainly knew she was here...he was Captain of Sixth Company, after all...he probably thought she was a snoop or a stalker or just plain weird...but of course he'd never tell her because he was respectful...but then again...

She heard the door open.

She heard the door close.

Dammit, why couldn't she have showed up five minutes later? Then there would have been someone _in_ the room for her to make her big entrance to. She felt like such a stupid fool.

What an impression she must have made on him! What had she been thinking? He would never take her seriously now. It didn't matter what she did. At this point...their relationship was beyond repair.

Hisana had had a precious bond with him...but how arrogant Rukia had been, thinking she could achieve a similar thing! How completely arrogant! She'd never realized...things had been beyond repair from the very beginning.

She wasn't going to lie to herself. She envied Hisana. She envied her so, so much. She envied a dead woman. How pathetic was that?

No. No. What was she thinking? She couldn't give up. Everything she had gone through up until this point would have been for nothing. It was all for nothing!

That was why she couldn't give up! Even if it was the tiniest thing...that was enough for her. It was enough. But until she knew that her efforts had achieved something, she couldn't give up.

It was startling to her, to think that Byakuya was just on the other side of that wall. What was he doing? Did he ever think about things so deeply as she did? If he did, there was no way to tell...

Heh. There was more than a wall between them. That was for sure.

No. No. She was going to tear down that wall! By her own power! Byakuya obviously wasn't planning on meeting her halfway, so she'd have to do it by herself! Hisana had grown close to him, and Rukia was her very image...but still, when it came right down to it, Hisana was Hisana, and Rukia was Rukia. There was no real comparison between the two. Rukia had no idea what sort of tactics Hisana must have used, but it didn't really matter anyway. They probably wouldn't work for Rukia...Rukia would require her own tactics.

After a while, she got to her feet. She wasn't going to refer to this as her "last resort" anymore, because if it didn't work out, then she might try to give up again...

Filled with resolve, she turned the corner and walked back down the hall, to stand in front of Byakuya's door again.

All right. Here went nothing!

She slammed open his bedroom door. "Nii-sama, I demand--!" Just like the first time, she didn't finish.

Her voice got quieter. "I...nii-sama, I apologize, I...didn't realize you were sleeping..."

Byakuya got up. He walked over to her. He was standing right in front of her.

Rukia couldn't help but look. She'd never seen him dressed for bed before...somehow, without his shihakusho and kenseikan and Senbonzakura strapped to his waist...he looked...just a little less formidable.

Why was the thought that Byakuya slept so strange to her?

She somehow managed to talk. "N...Nii-sama, I have something to say...!" she blurted, "And--!"

"Tell me tomorrow", he said, and where Byakuya had been a moment before, she was now looking at a door.

All awkwardness was gone now. Sure, she'd burst in on him, but closing a door in her face was still rude! She could feel indignation welling up. If she was supposed to be respectful to him, then he should be respectful to her, too! If she walked away now, then that would be letting him win! He'd know that he could get away with degrading things like this and keep doing it! She couldn't walk away! If there was ever a time to gain or lose his respect, it was now!

"Nii-sama!" she shouted through the door, "I have something important to say, and I want you to listen! I hope you don't think you're going to get rid of me that easily...? Because I won't stop until you listen to me! And...and...I'll stay out here all night, if that's what it takes!!"

...

Rukia stirred where she had fallen asleep outside Byakuya's bedroom door.

She...she'd fallen asleep! Damn! That meant Byakuya could have snuck past her at any time!

Well...she'd messed up. Again. How was she always messing everything up?! She'd completely screwed up any chance she'd had...now she would never get any serious acknowledgment or respect.

She sat up. Sleeping on the floor made her back sore. And why did she have a blanket? Did she have that the night before?

No...she was pretty sure she didn't...

Then she realized what she was looking at. Her blanket was white, with a "six" inside a diamond.

She clutched the material tightly as it dawned on her. Even...after all she'd done, he'd still...

She got to her feet, wrapping it around her shoulders.

Byakuya...

Where was Byakuya?

* * *

By the way, she never actually got a chance to use her last resort in this chapter...it just worked out that way...

All right, then. Till next time.


	8. Rukia and Byakuya

All right. This is the last chapter. Please enjoy it.

* * *

Byakuya was sitting on the veranda, doing some paperwork for Sixth Company, when Rukia burst on to the scene.

"I've found you!" she cried triumphantly. He looked towards her, but didn't say anything.

"What are you doing out here, nii-sama?"

"This is my house. I have every right to be outside."

"Yes, but..." Seeing him doing work outside...it was just unnatural.

She had the coat wrapped around her shoulders. It obscured her feet, and she kept tripping over it.

"I'm busy now", he said as she came and sat down next to him.

Rukia didn't respond. She just sat there, knees drawn up to her chest, looking at the ground. She peeked a glance at him. He wasn't wearing a shihakusho. This was an event rarely witnessed, and she couldn't help but take it in...because who knew when she would see it again?

"...is something interesting to you?" he inquired, a tone of annoyance to his voice.

Rukia flinched and averted her eyes. "Nothing at all, nii-sama."

The two sat there in silence for a few minutes. As usual, it looked like Rukia would have to be the one to take the initiative if there was going to be any communication between them.

"...nii-sama..." she said, "You know...I've just realized...I never congratulated you for making Captain of Sixth Company...so...um...I have something for you..."

She pulled something out from under the coat and slid it across the porch towards him.

He picked it up.

"...what is it?"

"It's called origami, nii-sama!"

"I understand that, but what _is_ it?"

"...it's...a flower. A...a...a bellflower, to be exact..." Rukia's face felt like it was on fire. Why was it so hot all of a sudden?

"...I see...thank you."

Rukia looked at him full in the face. Had he...just said what she thought he'd said? To _her? _

Silence passed between the two.

"Nii-sama..." said Rukia finally, "I want to join the Gotei 13."

"You have to change your hair back."

"I...I was going to! I just haven't gotten around to it yet!"

Another awkward silence passed between them.

"...nii-sama...um..."

"Is that all?"

"Huh?"

"You said last night that you had something important to say, and I had better listen to you...did you not? I nearly tripped over you this morning when I left my bedroom. But clearly...you like to waste my time."

"Nii-sama!" Rukia grabbed his arm suddenly, and he looked at her in...what? Some degree of surprise? "Nii-sama, I...I know I've been rude. Please forgive me."

She had really done it now. She'd dared to touch Byakuya...to so impudently grab his arm! He put his hand on hers, to pry her fingers off of him, but then her grip changed from his arm to his hand, and she held his hand tightly in both of hers. She was on her knees, his coat slipping off her shoulders.

"Nii-sama, please listen to me!"

He didn't look at her or say anything...but then, he didn't try to get away from her, either.

"I...I know that nii-sama doesn't say much, or share his feelings, but..." She wasn't sure how to express what she wanted to say. "Nii-sama, I...how I feel, I want you to know, I..."

He turned his gaze on her, and suddenly the words stopped dead on her tongue.

"Er...um..."

He wore the same expression he always did, but it seemed to her that he didn't look quite as forbidding as he normally did. She felt heat creeping over her face again, and let go of his hand.

"So...um...y-you're a busy man, nii-sama...being a captain and all...um, you have a lot of paperwork to do, so...I've bothered you enough already."

She peeked a glance at her. He still seemed to have a veiled curiosity. She couldn't explain why he seemed so different. She couldn't say he _wasn't_ an arrogant prick...but she couldn't say that's all he was, either.

The two of them sat there on the veranda next to each other. Rukia was wearing Byakuya's coat and Byakuya was still holding Rukia's flower.

She felt strange. It seemed to her that, just for a minute, the wall between them had vanished. She couldn't explain it. But...ever since she'd been adopted, she'd been trying to get her feelings to reach him...all the while not realizing that she was the one who couldn't be reached. She'd been so busy worrying about her feelings, she'd never even really considered his. She knew it seemed ridiculous, but the fact that he even _had_ feelings it ignore seemed astonishing. Byakuya Kuchiki could feel pain and love and sadness as keenly as she could. It was merely that those emotions couldn't reach her past the walls she had erected around her own heart. But...for a moment...a brief moment...there had been no walls.

She suddenly became very self-conscious.

Then she got to her feet (nearly tripping over the coat and falling on Byakuya in the process). She walked towards the door, and Byakuya went back to his paperwork. But then she stopped in the doorway and turned back, coming to stand directly behind him. He stopped writing and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. His face was unreadable...but not hostile.

She slipped out of the coat and draped it over his shoulders. Her fingers brushed against his hair. Then she went back inside. Again, she stopped in the doorway. This time, she said, over her shoulder, "Thank you, nii-sama. Thank you for everything."

Finally, Byakuya spoke.

"Rukia...you're a strange girl...very difficult to understand."

They had been so close, but they were worlds apart. There had been that tiny moment--it was almost hard to believe it had happened--when she'd suddenly felt a connection with him. A bond.

It had made her heart flutter. And if it was possible to feel those things again...it was something worth trying for.

She smiled as she went inside. Her brother wasn't so far away, after all.

Thank you to those who reviewed, to those who marked this story as one of their favorites, to those who put this story on their alert list, to those who did the same for me, as the author...

...and thank you to everyone who read this story all the way to its conclusion.

Please stay tuned for more Bleach fics in the future, and I'll try to read your stories as well!


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